Heat Exchange System

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a heat exchange system with a heat exchanger ( 1, 101, 102 ) including an inflow area ( 2 ) and an outflow area ( 3 ), wherein for the exchange of heat between a transport fluid ( 4 ) and a heat transfer agent ( 5 ) flowing through the heat exchanger ( 1, 101, 102 ) in the operational state, the transport fluid ( 4 ) can be conducted via an arriving flow area ( 200 ) of the heat exchange system and via the inflow area ( 2 ) to the heat exchanger ( 1, 101, 102 ), can be brought into flow contact with the heat exchanger ( 1, 101, 102 ) and can be led away again from the heat exchanger ( 1, 101, 102 ) via the outflow area ( 3 ). In accordance with the invention the heat exchange system ( 100 ) includes an automatic cleaning system ( 7 ) for the removal of contaminants ( 6 ).

The invention relates to a heat exchange system in accordance with thepreamble of the independent claim 1.

The use of heat exchange systems is known in a number of applicationsfrom the prior art which can practically not be overseen. Heatexchangers are used in refrigeration systems such as in common domesticrefrigerators, in air-conditioning systems for buildings or in vehiclesof all kinds, in particular in motor vehicles, aircraft and ships, aswater radiators or as oil radiators in combustion engines, as condensersor evaporators in refrigerant circuits and in further innumerabledifferent applications which are all well-known to the person ofordinary skill in the art.

In this respect, there are different possibilities of sensiblyclassifying the heat exchangers from very different applications. Oneattempt is to carry out a distinguishing by the structure or by themanufacture of the different types of heat exchangers.

A division can thus be made in accordance with so-called “finned heatexchangers”, on the one hand, and “minichannel” or “microchannel” heatexchangers, on the other hand.

The finned heat exchangers which have been well-known for a very longtime serve, like all types of heat exchangers, for the transfer of heatbetween two media, e.g., but not only, for the transfer from a coolingmedium to air or vice versa, such as is known, for example, from aclassical domestic refrigerator in which heat is emitted to ambient airvia the heat exchanger for the production of a cooling capacity in theinterior of the refrigerator.

The ambient medium outside the heat exchanger, that is e.g. water, oilor frequently simply the ambient air, which takes up the heat, forexample, or from which heat is transferred to the heat exchanger, iseither cooled or heated accordingly in this process. The second mediumcan e.g. be a liquid cold carrier or heat carrier or an evaporating orcondensing refrigerant. In any case, the ambient medium, that is e.g.the air, has a substantially lower heat transfer coefficient than thesecond medium, that is e.g. the refrigerant, which circulates in theheat exchange system. This is balanced by highly different heat transfersurfaces for the two media. The medium with the high heat transfercoefficient flows in the pipe which has a very enlarged surface at theouter side at which the heat transfer e.g. to the air takes place bythin metal sheets (ribs, fins).

FIG. 4 shows a simple example of an element of such a finned heatexchanger which is known per se. In practice, the heat exchanger isformed in this respect by a plurality of such elements in accordancewith FIG. 4.

The ratio of the outer surface to the inner surface depends in thisrespect on the fin geometry (=pipe diameter, pipe arrangement and pipespacing) as well as on the fin spacing. The fin spacing is selecteddifferently for different applications. However, it should be as smallas possible from a purely thermodynamic aspect, but not so small thatthe pressure loss on the air side is too large. An efficient optimum isat approximately 2 mm, which is a typical value for the condenser andthe heat exchanger.

The manufacture of these so-called finned heat exchangers takes place inaccordance with a standardized process known for a long time. The finsare stamped using a press and a special tool and are placed in packetswith one another. Subsequently, the pipes are pushed in and expandedeither mechanically or hydraulically so that a very good contact, andthus a good heat transfer, arises between the pipe and the fin. Theindividual pipes are then connected to one another, often soldered toone another, by bends and inlet tanks and outlet tanks.

The efficiency is in this respect substantively determined by the factthat the heat which is transferred between the fin surface and the airhas to be transferred to the pipe via heat conduction through the fins.This heat transfer is the more effective, the higher the conductivity orthe thickness of the fin is, but also the smaller the spacing betweenthe pipes is. One speaks of fin efficiency here. Aluminum is thereforeprimarily used as the fin material today which has a high heatconductivity (approx. 220 W/mK) at economic conditions. The pipe spacingshould be as small as possible; however, this results in the problemthat many pipes are needed. Many pipes mean high costs since the pipes(made from copper as rule) are much more expensive than the thinaluminum fins. These material costs could be reduced in that the pipediameter and the wall thickness are reduced, i.e. a heat exchanger ismade with a number of small pipes instead of with a few larger pipes.This solution would be ideal thermodynamically: Very many pipes at smalldistances with small diameters. A substantial cost factor is, however,also the labor time for the widening and soldering of the pipes. Itwould increase extremely with such a geometry.

A new class of heat exchangers, so-called minichannel or alsomicrochannel heat exchangers, was therefore already developed some yearsago which are manufactured using a completely different process andalmost correspond to the ideal of a finned heat exchanger: many smallpipes at small intervals.

Instead of small pipes, however, extruded aluminum sections are used inthe minichannel heat exchanger which have very small channels with adiameter of e.g. approximately 1 mm. Such an extruded section likewiseknown per se is shown schematically e.g. in FIG. 3. In practice in thisrespect, a heat exchanger can already manage, depending on the requiredheat capacity, with one single extruded section as a central heatexchange element. To be able to achieve higher heat transfer capacities,a plurality of extruded sections can naturally also be providedsimultaneously in one single heat exchanger which are connected to oneanother, e.g. soldered to one another, in suitable combinations, forexample via inlet feeds and outlet feeds.

Such sections can e.g. be manufactured in suitable extrusion processessimply and in a variety of shapes from a plurality of materials.However, other manufacturing processes are also known for themanufacture of minichannel heat exchangers such as the assembly ofsuitably shaped sectional metal sheets or other suitable processes.

These sections cannot, and also do not have to, be widened and they arealso not pushed into stamped fin packets.

Instead, for example, sheet metal strips, in particular aluminum strips,are placed between two sections disposed close to one another (commonspacings, for example, <1 cm) so that a heat exchanger packet arises byalternating placing of sheet metal strips and sections next to oneanother. This packet is then soldered completely in a soldering furnace.

A heat exchanger having a very high fin efficiency and a very smallfilling volume (inner channel side) arises due to the narrow spacingsand the small channel diameters. The further advantages of thistechnique are the avoidance of material pairings (corrosion), the lowweight (no copper), the high pressure stability (approx. 100 bar) aswell as the compact construction shape (typical depth of a heatexchanger e.g. 20 mm).

Minichannel heat exchangers became established in mobile use in thecourse of the 1990s. The low weight, the small block depth as well asthe restricted dimensions required here are the ideal conditions forthis. Automotive radiators as well as condensers and evaporators forautomotive air-conditioning systems are today realized almostexclusively with minichannel heat exchangers.

In the stationary area, larger heat exchangers are usually needed, onthe one hand; on the other hand, the emphasis here is less on the weightand the compact design and more on the ideal price-performance ratio.Minichannel heat exchangers were previously too limited in dimensions tobe considered for this purpose. Many small modules would have had to beconnected to one another in a complex and/or expensive manner. Inaddition, the use of aluminum is relatively high in the extrudedsections so that a cost advantage was also practically not to beexpected from the material use aspect.

Due to the high volumes in the automotive sector, the manufacturingprocesses for minichannel heat exchangers have become standardized andhave improved so that this technology can today be called mature. Thesoldering furnace size has also increased in the meantime so that heatexchangers can already be produced in the size of approximately 1×2 m.

The initial difficulties with the connection system have been remedied.In the meantime, there are a plurality of patented processes on how theinlet tanks and outlet tanks can be soldered in.

However, above all the price of copper, which has increased greatly withrespect to aluminum, has had the result that this technology is alsobecoming very interesting for stationary use.

A problem underlying all of the previously known heat exchange systemsis in this respect the contamination of the system components of theheat exchange system which basically cannot be prevented in any mode ofoperation.

Scavenged heat exchangers, such as for example, condensers or heatexchangers often work in contaminated surroundings. The contamination ofthe air can be natural (pollen, insects etc.) or of industrial type(swarf, tire wear, flour dust, dust from boxes etc.). Many of thecontaminants are caught on the scavenged heat exchanger and obstruct itover time.

The heat exchangers in which, for example, the cooling air is guidedpast the heat exchanger with the aid of corresponding fans, can becomecontaminated more and more over time by such types and other types ofcontaminations contained in the cooling air, which, for example, canlead to a reduction of the heat transfer coefficient of the surface ofthe heat exchanger so that the heat transfer performance is considerablyreduced. This can lead to increased costs of operation or in extremecases the heat exchange system can no longer deliver the required heatexchange performance which in worst cases can lead to serious damage.

The consequence of the contaminations is thus very often that theresistance on the air side is increased and that thereby the air flowvolume is reduced and also that the heat transfer is reduced. Thepreviously described effects lead to the the energy consumption of acooling system being increased with increasing contamination up to afunctional stand-still.

This can have the effect that a connected machine to be cooled, such asa data processing unit or a combustion engine or any other type ofmachine can overheat and thereby become damaged. But also damage togoods, such as for example foods, which are stored in a cooling housecan, for example, go off if insufficiently cooled.

To prevent such serious damage and to counteract such contaminations theheat exchanger either has to be cleaned regularly in a complex and/orexpensive process or be provided with a corresponding filter. However,these filters must also be cleaned regularly. In particular theassociated cooling machines must generally be switched off for thepurpose of cleaning the heat exchanger, or the heat transfer performanceof the heat exchanger is strongly negatively influenced during thecleaning procedure.

In this respect with known systems the cleaning of heat exchange systemsis already awkward and thus complex and expensive purely forconstructional reasons, for example because the heat exchanger is noteasily directly accessible in the built in state. With many known heatexchange systems it is thus necessary to open a housing to, for example,clean the heat exchanger itself or other essential components in theinner part of the housing of the heat exchange system. In this respectthe opening of the housing is not only complex and/or expensive andawkward. Also in this case the correspondingly connected heatingmachines must be switched off as already mentioned, since otherwise anopening of the housing of the heat exchange system is not allowed purelyfor reasons of security or it is not possible at all for technicalreasons in the operational state.

It is therefore the object of the invention to provide an improved heatexchange system which overcomes the known problems from the prior artand in particular is easy to clean, preferably can also be cleaned inthe operational state, with a heat transfer performance of the heatexchanger and/or of the total heat exchange system, essentially also notreducing over a longer operational time but also guarantees anessentially constant pre-settable heat transfer performance over a longoperational time.

The subjects satisfying the object of the invention are characterized bythe features of the independent claim 1.

The dependent claims relate to particularly advantageous embodiments ofthe invention.

The invention thus relates to a heat exchange system with a heatexchanger including an inflow area and an outflow area, with thetransport fluid being able to be supplied to the heat exchanger via anarriving flow area of the heat exchange system and via the inflow area,being able to be brought into flow contact with the heat exchanger andbeing able to be led away from the heat exchanger again via the outflowarea for the exchange of heat between a transport fluid and a heattransfer agent flowing through the heat exchanger in the operationalstate of the heat exchanger. In accordance with the invention the heatexchange system includes an automatic cleaning system for the removal ofcontaminants.

This means that, the present invention specifically relates to anautomatic cleaning system such that with a preferred embodiment either afilter (e.g. a fly grid) provided in front of the heat exchanger or theheat exchanger itself is cleaned automatically. As will be explained inmore detail later with reference to specific embodiments, this can beachieved, for example, in that the filter is rolled over a type of wiperor that respectively the filter or the heat exchanger itself isautomatically cleaned by a type of wiper or, however, that the filterper se at least partially envelope the heat exchanger and, for example,permanently revolves about the heat exchanger. It is thereby achievedthat the contamination accommodated on the inlet side of the heatexchanger is directly carried away again on the opposite side of theheat exchanger by the air flow whereby the filter is automaticallycleaned.

In this respect in a specific embodiment, the heat exchanger can also besituated in a housing the heat exchange system, with the automaticcleaning system then being provided alternatively or additionally at aninflow area of the housing of the heat exchange system.

It is thus essential for the invention that an automatic cleaning systemis provided which allows the cleaning specifically of the heat exchangerand/or of a contamination filter at the heat exchanger or an inflow areaof the heat exchange system and/or a contamination filter at the inflowarea of the heat exchange system also in the operational state, with aheat transform performance of the heat exchanger essentially also notreducing over a longer period of operation, but rather an essentiallyconstant presettable heat transfer performance also being guaranteedover a longer period of operation.

In those cases where the cleaning cannot be performed in the operationalstate of the heat exchanger or of the heat exchange system for certainreasons, the invention can also be advantageously used since for thecleaning with the automatic cleaning system in accordance with theinvention the heat exchange system does not have to be demounted ortaken apart or opened for the cleaning, whereby the cleaning issignificantly simplified and is therefore more efficient and cheaperthan with the previously known heat exchange systems. In particular, butnot only, because at least less personal has to be provided for thecleaning.

In a preferred embodiment the cleaning system in accordance with theinvention includes a dust catching grid and/or a contamination filter,with a contamination wiper and/or a washer being provided for theautomatic cleaning of the heat exchange system, i.e. especially, forexample, for the automatic cleaning of the dust catching grid or of thecontamination filter, said contamination wiper and/or washer beingoperated automatically in accordance with the invention as will bediscussed in more detail further on.

In a specific embodiment, a contamination filter is provided at theinflow area of the heat exchanger and/or at the arriving flow area ofthe heat exchange system and/or at the outflow area of the heatexchanger and contaminants of all kind, such as, dust, soot, insects,etc. can be filtered by said contamination filter from the transportfluid sucked in, i.e., for example, from the air which is conducted viathe heat exchanger for the heat exchange.

In an embodiment particularly important for practice, a deflectiondevice, in particular a deflection roller, is in this respect providedwith the contamination filter enveloping, the inflow area and theoutflow area of the heat exchanger in such way that a suction side ofthe contamination filter can be guided from the inflow area via thedeflection device in front of the outflow area. In this embodiment inthe operational state the contamination filter can, for example,permanently revolve about the heat exchanger, whereby it is achievedthat the contamination taken up by the contamination filter on thesuction side at the inflow area is carried away again at the oppositeoutflow area of the heat exchanger by the air outflowing through theoutflow area and is conducted away by said air.

It is naturally also possible that such a revolving contamination filteris not arranged directly at the heat exchanger, but that it is arrangedin front of the arriving flow area of the heat exchange system for thetaking up of contaminants, with a contamination filter being brought,with the contamination filter being able to be suitably brought from theinflow area to the outflowing air flow by a transport and deflectiondevice, e.g. in a permanently revolving manner so that the contaminationfilter is constantly freed from contaminant by the outflowing air flow.

To increase the heat exchange performance, the heat exchange system canin particular also be formed from a plurality of heat exchange modules,in particular by identical heat exchange modules.

The heat transfer performance and/or the performance density of the heattransfer can thereby be adapted simply and in an efficient way through amodular design of the heat exchange system of the present invention bythe repetition of preferably identical heat exchange modules, or byremoving identical heat exchange modules from the heat exchange system.

For a further increase of the performance density of the heat transferbetween the heat transfer agent and the transport fluid and/or for theincrease of a heat transfer rate between the heat transfer agent and thetransport fluid a cooling device can be provided in the known manner forthe cooling of the heat exchanger, in particular a fan for theproduction of a gas flow can be provided.

In this respect, the heat exchanger itself, as known per se from theprior art, can be made by a plurality of microchannels as a microchannelheat exchanger and/or the heat exchanger can also be made as a finnedheat exchanger with cooling fins. Specifically, the heat exchange systemis made as a combination heat exchange system of the finned heatexchanger and the microchannel heat exchanger if specific demands prefersuch a construction shape.

To improve the possibilities of regulating the heat transfer capacity ofa heat exchange system in accordance with the invention, a sealing, inparticular an air sealing, can be provided for the regulation of a flowrate of the transport fluid which can be controlled and/or regulatedeither manually or via a control unit in dependence on a presettableoperating parameter.

The components of the heat exchange system in accordance with theinvention, i.e. for example, the heat exchanger and/or a supply line forthe heat transfer agent and/or a removal line for the heat transferagent and/or a possibly provided cleaning flap for cleaning the interiorof the heat exchange system and/or every other component of a heatexchange system in accordance with the invention can be connected toevery other component of the heat exchange system by a universalconnector element such that, for example, a heat exchanger module can beparticularly easily added or removed. In particular the cleaning flapand the inlet manifolds and outlet manifolds and the collection pipesfor the heat transfer agent or also sheet metal parts and other modulesand components of the heat exchange system are preferably connected witha universal connector element. In this respect the universal connectorelements are particularly suitable not only for a vertical assembly butalso for a horizontal assembly of the heat exchange systems or of theheat exchanger modules.

As a rule, but not necessarily, a control unit, in particular a controlunit having a data processing system for the control of the coolingdevice and/or of the cleaning system and/or of the air sealing and/or ofan operating or state parameter of the heat transfer agent and/or ofanother operating parameter of the heat exchange system is provided forthe control and/or regulation of the heat exchange system, such as isknown to the skilled person per se from the prior art with existing heatexchange systems.

The heat exchange system or the heat exchange module and/or the heatexchanger and/or a boundary surface of the heat exchange module,specifically the total heat exchange system, is particularlyadvantageously produced from a metal and/or a metal alloy, in particularfrom a single alloy, and can in particular be produced from stainlesssteel, specifically from aluminum or from an aluminum alloy, with asacrificial metal preferably being provided as corrosion protectionand/or with the heat exchange system being at least partly provided witha protective layer, in particular with a corrosion protective layer.Particularly the inlet tanks and outlet tanks are preferably producedfor high pressures, for example for operation with CO₂, from very strongmaterials such as stainless steel.

A heat exchange system in accordance with the invention is specificallya radiator, in particular a radiator for a vehicle, specifically for aland vehicle, for an aircraft or for a water vehicle, or a radiator, acapacitor or an evaporator for a mobile or stationary heating plant,refrigerating plant or air-conditioning plant, in particular a radiatorapparatus for a machine, a data processing system or for a building orfor another apparatus which can be operated with a heat exchange system.

The invention will be explained in more detail in the following withreference to the drawing. There are shown in a schematic representation:

FIG. 1 a first embodiment of a heat exchange system in accordance withthe invention with a contamination wiper;

FIG. 2 a second embodiment with a contamination filter and a deflectiondevice for the contamination filter;

FIG. 3 a heat exchanger with microchannels;

FIG. 4 an element of a finned heat exchanger;

FIG. 5 a further embodiment in accordance with FIG. 2 with an airsealing;

FIG. 6 a heat exchange system with a cleaning system at the arrivingflow area.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of a first embodiment of a heatexchange system in accordance with the invention with a contaminationwiper which in the following will be provided as a whole with thereference numeral 100. In this respect the heat exchange system 100 inFIG. 1 is shown during a cleaning procedure in the operation state ofthe heat exchange system 100.

The heat exchange system 100 in accordance with the invention of FIG. 1is a modular heat exchange system 100 and includes as an essentialelement a heat exchange module 1000 with a heat exchanger 1 for theexchange of heat between a heat transfer agent 5, for example a coolingliquid 5 or a vaporizing medium 5 and a transport fluid 4, for exampleair 4. In the present case the heat exchanger 1 is a microchannel heatexchanger 101 known per se with a plurality of microchannels 9. Themicro-channels 9 of the heat exchanger 101 are connected via aconnection system, not shown in FIG. 1, which is known in principle tothe person of ordinary skill in the art, for the exchange of heattransfer agent 5 to a cooling machine, also not shown.

In a manner known per se the cooling machine is flow connected to theconnection system including an inlet channel with an inlet segment ofthe heat exchanger 101 and an outlet channel with an outlet segment ofthe heat exchanger 101 such that the heat transfer agent 5 for theexchange of heat with the air 4 can be conducted from the inlet channelvia the inlet segment by the plurality of microchannels 9 of the heatexchanger 1 and finally to the outlet channel via the outlet segment.

An outer boundary of the heat exchanger module 1000 and/or of the heatexchange system 100 is in this respect formed by an inflow area 2 of theheat exchanger 1 and an outflow area 300 of the heat exchange system 1such that in the operational state for the exchange of heat between thetransport fluid 4, whose flow direction is illustrated symbolically bythe arrows 40, and the heat transfer agent 5 flowing through the heatexchanger 1, the transport fluid 4 can be supplied to the heat exchangemodule 1000 via the inflow area can be brought into flow contact withthe heat exchanger 1 and can be led away from the heat exchange module1000 or from the heat exchange system 1 again via the outflow area 300.

So that the heat can be exchanged better between the air 4 and the heattransfer agent 5, a cooling device 11 is additionally provided, in thepresent case a fan 11, with which a quantity of air 4 can be controlledwhich is conveyed through the heat exchange module 1000 per time unit.

In accordance with the present invention a cleaning system 7, 71 in theform of a contamination wiper 71 is furthermore provided as a centralelement. The contamination wiper 71 is automatically, preferablypermanently, moved to and frow over the contamination filter 8 in arespectively alternating direction of the double arrow P on operation ofthe heat exchange system 100 such that contaminants 6 which aredeposited on the contamination filter 8 by the suction of air 4 throughit in the operational state are permanently removed, whereby the heatexchanger 1 also produces an essentially constant heat transferperformance over a long operational time because no contaminants canaccumulate permanently on the heat exchanger 1 and/or on thecontamination filter 8.

FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of a heat exchange system 100 inaccordance with the invention with a contamination filter 8 and adeflection device 72 for the contamination filter 8.

The heat exchange system of FIG. 2 thus differs from that in FIG. 1 inthat not a contamination wiper 71 is provided as a cleaning system 7 butthat a deflection device 72 is provided in the form of a deflectionroller 721, with the contamination filter 8 enveloping the inflow area 2and the outflow area 3 of the heat exchanger 1, 101, 102, such that asuction side 21 of the contamination filter 8 can be conducted from theinflow area 2 via the deflection device 72 to in front of the outflowarea 3.

In this embodiment which is particularly important in practice, in theoperational state, the contamination filter 8 can, for example,permanently revolve about the heat exchanger 1, whereby it is achievedthat the contaminant 6 taken up on the contamination filter 8 on thesuction side 21 at the inflow area 2 or at the arriving area 200 can becarried away again at the opposite outflow area 3 of the heat exchanger1 by the air 4 flowing out through the outflow area 3 of the heatexchanger 1 and can be led away to the outside by said air.

FIG. 3 shows a schematic section of a heat exchanger 1, 101 inaccordance with FIG. 1 with microchannels 9. Instead of small pipes asare used for classic finned heat exchangers 102 in accordance with FIG.4, as previously mentioned, with microchannel heat exchangers 101, whichare frequently also referred to as a minichannel heat exchangers 101,for example aluminium extrusions are used which have very many smallchannels 9 with a cross-section of, e.g. approximately 1 mm. The heatexchanger 1, 101 of FIG. 3 can, for example, be manufactured in asuitable extrusion method easily and in a plurality of shapes from aplurality of materials. In this respect the heat exchanger 1 inaccordance with FIG. 3 can in another embodiment not explicitly shown inFIG. 3 also be produced by other production methods, such as, forexample, by the combination of suitably shaped sectioned sheet metalparts or other suitable methods.

In contrast to FIG. 3 FIG. 4 shows an element of a finned heat exchanger1, 102 as is known per se, with cooling fins 10 which could be usedinstead of a microchannel heat exchanger 101 in an embodiment of thepresent invention. The heat transfer agent 5 flows through the pipeshaped element of the finned heat exchanger 102 which in the operationalstate normally exchanges the heat via the cooling fins 10 with thepassing flowing air 4. It is to be understood that in practice the heatexchanger 1 can generally be formed from a plurality of elements inaccordance with FIG. 4.

In a very special embodiment of the present invention which for reasonsof space is not explicitly illustrated with reference to a drawing, theheat exchanger 1 is used as a combination heat exchanger 1, 101, 102.This means a heat exchange system 100 of the present invention can forvery special applications simultaneously include besides a heatexchanger 101, with a plurality of microchannels 9, a finned heatexchanger 102 with cooling fins 10.

A further embodiment in accordance with FIG. 2 is shown schematicallywith an air sealing 12 in FIG. 5. The air sealing 12 is preferably madein the form of a sun blind or of a Venetian blind, including individualsun blind elements 121 or Venetian blind elements 121, so that thedegree of covering of the heat exchanger 1 can be changed variably,preferably in electronically controlled and/or regulated form, in thatthe air sealing is removed in a known manner, wholly or partly forexample, from the surface of the heat exchanger 1 by gathering togetherthe individual sun blind elements 121 or Venetian blind elements 121 orin that an angle between the individual Venetian blind elements 121 andthe surface of the heat exchanger 1 is changed so that the effectivepassage area for the air 4 can be varied. A regulation of the heatexchange performance of the heat exchanger 1 is thereby possible in asimple manner without changing the flow dynamics in the cooling system.

Finally, FIG. 6 shows a schematic illustration of a different embodimentof a heat exchange system 100 in accordance with the invention in whichthe heat exchanger 1 is provided inside a closed housing G of the heatexchange system 1.

In contrast to FIG. 1 the contamination filter 8 is not provideddirectly at the heat exchanger 1 here, but at a housing wall of the heatexchange system 100 forming the arriving flow area 200. Correspondinglythe cleaning system 7 adapted as a contamination wiper 71 is not onlyprovided at the housing G but also at the contamination filter 8 infront of the arriving flow area 200.

It is to be understood that in a further embodiment of the embodiment ofFIG. 6 in addition to the contamination wiper 71 provided in front ofthe arriving flow area 200 another cleaning system, for example inaccordance with FIG. 1, FIG. 2 or FIG. 5 can also be provided directlyat the heat exchanger 1 so that for specific applications an even bettercleaning effect and/or an even better protection against contaminationof the heat exchanger 1 can be guaranteed.

It is understood that the embodiments described within the framework ofthis application are only to be understood as examples. This means thatthe invention is not solely restricted to the specific embodimentsdescribed. All suitable combinations of the presented embodiments are inparticular likewise covered by the invention.

1. A heat exchange system with a heat exchanger (1, 101, 102) includingan inflow area (2) and an outflow area (3), wherein for the exchange ofheat between a transport fluid (4) and a heat transfer agent (5) flowingthrough the heat exchanger (1, 101, 102) in the operational state of theheat exchanger, the transport fluid (4) can be conducted via an arrivingflow area (200) of the heat exchange system and via the inflow area (2)of the heat exchanger (1, 101, 102) and can be brought into flowingcontact with the heat exchanger (1, 101, 102) and can be led away againfrom the heat exchanger (1, 101, 102) via the outflow area (3),characterized in that the heat exchange system includes an automaticcleaning system (7) for the removal of contaminants (6).
 2. A heatexchange system in accordance with claim 1, wherein for the automaticcleaning of the heat exchange system a contamination wiper (7, 71)and/or a washer (7, 71) is provided.
 3. A heat exchange system inaccordance with claim 1, wherein a contamination filter (8) is providedat the inflow area (2) and/or at the arriving flow area (200) and/or atthe outflow area (3).
 4. A heat exchange system in accordance with claim1, wherein a deflection device (72), in particular a deflection roller(72, 721), is provided, and the contamination filter (8) envelops theinflow area (2) and the outflow area (3) of the heat exchanger (1, 101,102) such that a suction side (21) of the contamination filter (8) canbe guided from the inflow area (2) via the deflection device (72) infront of the outflow area (3).
 5. A heat exchange system in accordancewith claim 1, wherein the heat exchanger (1) is formed by a plurality ofmicrochannels (9) as a microchannel heat exchanger (1, 101) and/orwherein the heat exchanger is formed as a finned heat exchanger (1, 102)with cooling fins (10).
 6. A heat exchange system in accordance withclaim 1, wherein the heat exchange system is of modular design formedfrom at least one heat exchanger module (1000).
 7. A heat exchangesystem in accordance with claim 1 wherein, for the increase of a heattransfer rate between the heat transfer agent (5) and the transportfluid (4), a cooling device (11) for the cooling of the heat exchanger(1, 101, 102), in particular a fan (11) for the generation of a gas flow(40) is provided.
 8. A heat exchange system in accordance with claim 1,wherein a partition (12), in particular an air sealing (12) is providedfor the regulation of a flow rate of the transport fluid (4).
 9. A heatexchange system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the heat exchangesystem is formed as a combination heat exchange system of the finnedheat exchanger (1, 102) and the microchannel heat exchanger (1, 101).10. A heat exchange system in accordance with claim 1 wherein, for thecontrol and/or regulation of the heat exchange system, a control unit,in particular a control unit having a data processing unit is providedfor the control of a cooling machine and/or of the cooling device (11)and/or of the cleaning system (7) and/or of the partition (12) and/or ofan operation parameter status parameter of the heat transfer agent (5)and/or a different operation parameter of the heat exchange system. 11.A heat exchange system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the heatexchanger module (1000) and/or the heat exchanger (1, 101, 102) and/orthe complete heat exchange system is manufactured from a metal and/or ametal alloy, in particular from a single metal or a single metal alloy,in particular from stainless steel, especially from aluminum or analuminium alloy, wherein a sacrificial metal is provided as a corrosionprotector, and/or wherein the heat exchange system is at least partiallyprovided with a protective coating, in particular a corrosion protectivecoating.
 12. A heat exchange system in accordance with claim 1, whereinthe heat exchange system is a radiator, in particular a radiator for avehicle, more specifically for a land vehicle, for an aircraft or for awater vehicle, or is a radiator, or a condenser or a vaporizer for amobile heating device or for a stationary heating device, or is acooling device or is an air conditioning unit in particular a coolingapparatus for a machine, or for a data processing unit or for abuilding.